Always a Wasp
General Category => Wasps Rugby Discussion => Topic started by: Vespula Vulgaris on April 03, 2019, 07:44:38 AM
-
Apparently according to the Times he's asked to be released from his contract. Does anyone have the ability to copy the full article as I'm not a subscriber...
-
I am not a subscriber either, but it would not surprise me. Whilst we are without Billy, that would leave us short, but, from what I have seen, Umaga should already be in that 10 shirt anyway. Only fear, I suspect, has kept Dai from playing him (of needing points), but look how well our current lineup has delivered points anyway?
-
It would be a very brave move to make Billy 1st choice and Umaga 2nd choice, and only look to bring in a 3rd choice fly half.
It would be a brave move to bring in someone to compete with all 3.
Both of these may have been a bit more possible if we'd had a good season, but seeing as we haven't, I suspect we'll go for a proven NH fly half. There is talk about Anscombe leaving Wales.
-
Brave choices are the ones that make the difference. Safe choices are what other teams do. We can't do any worse than we have all season making 'brave' choices.
-
Maybe adds to earlier rumblings about Max Malins. Would be unlike Dai to entrust such a key position to young player(s) but it doesn't worry me. Gopps will be about next season too.
-
Brave choices are the ones that make the difference. Safe choices are what other teams do. We can't do any worse than we have all season making 'brave' choices.
We could easily have done a lot worse...
-
It doesn't really line up to a very recent interview that he has given. I did see something about him potentially leaving if we are relegated on another forum mind.
-
It would be a very brave move to make Billy 1st choice and Umaga 2nd choice, and only look to bring in a 3rd choice fly half.
It would be a brave move to bring in someone to compete with all 3.
Both of these may have been a bit more possible if we'd had a good season, but seeing as we haven't, I suspect we'll go for a proven NH fly half. There is talk about Anscombe leaving Wales.
Hasn't he signed for Bath?
-
It would be a very brave move to make Billy 1st choice and Umaga 2nd choice, and only look to bring in a 3rd choice fly half.
It would be a brave move to bring in someone to compete with all 3.
Both of these may have been a bit more possible if we'd had a good season, but seeing as we haven't, I suspect we'll go for a proven NH fly half. There is talk about Anscombe leaving Wales.
Hasn't he signed for Bath?
Aren't Bath trying to keep Priestland now?
-
Gopps will be about next season too.
No guarantees on that. He's not back yet.
-
Anscombe had been rumoured to be off to Bristol, but that was denied yesterday. If Sops had asked to be released, it would have been weeks ago, and so Dai would have been hunting Cips (and he has now signed for Glaws).
If Sops wants off, there is no way Dai can justify keeping him, contract or not. His wages in the salary bill are too high to keep someone who wants out and would potentially be demotivated. best do it now rather than try to hold on to him like we did with Wade and then be left with no-one in place. It has to be said, it is way too late to pick up anyone of 'fame' at this point.
Plan B is to look in the Championship. Plan C is to use Miller. Plan C is to use Umaga until Searle is back, and the use Searle or Umaga.
-
Regarding the flyhalf choice - I suppose it depends upon the overall style of play (I don't mean aesthetically) we want to carry out. The most successful Prem club play very successfully with a limited 10 and an ageing if robust 12, with all their flair in the 13 to 15 channels plus 11
We don't have to have our Barry John at 10 especially if there are several second receivers in the team, especially at 15,so if Sops is off, which I would be sad about, then with appropriate back three selection and a tweaked game plan, we can decide on a more "solid" option at 10
I loved watching Danny and others play and I'd hope Jacob gets game time - but like Smith at Quins, however good you are, its a hard step up, especially if you are young and first choice 10. I'd hope we'd have a pool of FHs, we would need someone for next season with some time under their belt.
Any ideas?
-
Brave choices are the ones that make the difference. Safe choices are what other teams do. We can't do any worse than we have all season making 'brave' choices.
We could easily have done a lot worse...
I would wait till end of season before making such pronouncements, Raggs. I hope you are right.
-
Blimey! This isn't news I was expecting to read today.
I'd be suprised if this was true as a recent interview with him suggested how was loving living in Europe as it gave him the opportunity to travel and was looking forward to next season after experiencing an 'adjustment period' to the GP game and it's physicality.
If he were to leave then I would want and expect Dai to replace him with a genuine starter. I know Billy hasn't let us down this season but the bar has been pretty low. I think he's a good player and a great back-up but I don't think he's the 10 to lead us to any silverware. Umaga looks class when ever i've seen him play. However, I still thinks he needs to be eased in and not just thrown in as starting 10.
Would be gutted if Sops does decide to move on, but fully expect Dai and Derek to replace him with a big name 10.
-
If true and, as yet, it has not been reported elsewhere, then I am sure that Lima would have broached this with Dai some time ago. There was this article on Rugbypass dated March 28th https://www.rugbypass.com/news/i-get-a-lot-of-questions-on-how-life-on-this-side-of-the-world-is-wasps-lima-sopoaga-on-his-chats-with-old-kiwi-teammates (https://www.rugbypass.com/news/i-get-a-lot-of-questions-on-how-life-on-this-side-of-the-world-is-wasps-lima-sopoaga-on-his-chats-with-old-kiwi-teammates) posted here. It's quite a long piece so I have made one or two extracts:
"There are no regrets whatsoever nearing the end of year one of a two-and-a-half year deal."
“I’d say after this year I will be evaluating the year that it has been. I’d say I will make a few adjustments heading into next season."
I recommend reading the entire article. It doesn't give the impression of a player who wants to be released from his contract. However, it may not be him who hasn't settled but his family and family always comes first.
I was in the middle of typing this when you posted, Rory.
-
Not read the article but surely this isn’t true after the other recent articles detailed above. He also has Fekitoa and JT-A joining up next year, new coaches hopefully and undoubtedly a better season ahead (also if we’re in the challenge cup he’ll also have less pressure on him throughout the season, either less gametime f he isn’t used at all or opposition where he can try new things with the backs against weaker opposition than the premiership might produce)
-
This is the relvant section which mentions Lima in the article on Cips :
Cipriani was released by Wasps at the end of last season and he initially joined Gloucester on a cut-price deal in May, a time when most clubs have completed their recruitment.
The fortunes of the two clubs have since gone in opposite directions. While Cipriani’s form has helped to set Gloucester on course for the Premiership play-offs, Wasps are now at risk of being dragged into a relegation battle.
Lima Sopoaga, the New Zealand fly half who was recruited by Wasps as a high-profile replacement for Cipriani, has asked to leave the club after failing to settle in the Premiership.
Cipriani is understood to have given his boyhood club relatively short shrift when they inquired about the prospect of taking him back to the Ricoh Arena.
-
Brave choices are the ones that make the difference. Safe choices are what other teams do. We can't do any worse than we have all season making 'brave' choices.
We could easily have done a lot worse...
I would wait till end of season before making such pronouncements, Raggs. I hope you are right.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, we still could have done a lot worse up until now.
-
Bobby Bridge quotes Lima when he, Willie and Ash did a coaching evening at Kenilworth RFC last week.
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rugby-news-lima-sopoaga-16070832 (https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rugby-news-lima-sopoaga-16070832)
Bobby doesn't seem to give much credence to the Lima leaving rumour.
-
Has Sops brought any family over? Difficulty settling might not just be down to the atmosphere in the club / enjoying his job.
-
Has Sops brought any family over? Difficulty settling might not just be down to the atmosphere in the club / enjoying his job.
The impression I have is that he has brought his family over. I can't be sure for certain though.
This is certainly a surprising article to read!
-
Has Sops brought any family over? Difficulty settling might not just be down to the atmosphere in the club / enjoying his job.
I thought he brought his wife and kid with him. If he didn't then it might explain why he hasn't settled.
-
He definitely has his wife and daughter (1 year old) with him. They all went to Berlin last weekend.
-
Current online version of the Times article no longer has the Sops information.
-
Rugby pass saying wasps are fuming at the reports and claiming its nonsense.
-
Any interview he has done will polar opposite this strap line..I'll eat a hat of your choice if this is true, more Wasps nonsense, from start to end of the season.
-
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/lima-sopoaga-to-ditch-wasps-reports
-
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/lima-sopoaga-to-ditch-wasps-reports
Good to see that response but it's funny to see how a quote can be manipulated in a way that suits an agenda, such as “I’d say after this year I will be evaluating the year that it has been. I’d say I will make a few adjustments heading into next season. It’s very physical over here. That is what I noticed straightaway, that guys are a lot bigger over here,” Sopoaga told RugbyPass last week.
-
I think if it's been taken down we can safely say it was a mistake.
Which makes me very happy.
-
I think if it's been taken down we can safely say it was a mistake.
Which makes me very happy.
Me too - looking forwards to next season
-
Happiness. ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
If he stays I hope he stands less deep and gets a full pre season playing that way.
-
This sounds similar to the recent articles about Jerome Kaino saying that criticism of Julian Savea at Toulon was justified... which he 100% rebuked.
i.e. utter tosh from the press
-
The House of Rugby podcast had a rugby journalist on instead of Hask this week.. along with Tinds.. and despite his best efforts of trying to sound like he likes to write about rugby.. I got the sense he made more money from reporting gossip... if it was printed.. then so be it.. whether it be true or not
I wonder how quickly a forum message (not this one) can find its way to the national press?
-
Bobby Bridge now confirms that The Times was talking bollux.
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rugby-news-lima-sopoaga-16070832 (https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rugby-news-lima-sopoaga-16070832)
-
Not that it's particularly important, but I wonder who planted that malicious little rumour in the first place?
-
Whilst i'm glad he's staying he needs to start producing, 1 good thing every 6 games isn't doing it for me...not given his stature, he should have more in his locker no matter if its a new environment or not.
-
The journalist in question is pretty well thought of at the club so it's feasible it was a genuine case of mishearing something.
-
The journalist in question is pretty well thought of at the club so it's feasible it was a genuine case of mishearing something.
I think you are being generous VV. Who was the journalist in question? Owen Slot, Stephen Jones? It still smells like a malicious plant to me.
-
The journalist in question is pretty well thought of at the club
Not any more he won't be.
-
The journalist in question is pretty well thought of at the club so it's feasible it was a genuine case of mishearing something.
I think you are being generous VV. Who was the journalist in question? Owen Slot, Stephen Jones? It still smells like a malicious plant to me.
Alex Lowe.
-
Then he should have checked his source* before printing such an outrageous lie.
* I still wonder who that might be. In the context of the rest of the article I have seen then it could only have been Cips or his agent.
-
Cips' agent is my guess. Conversation (imaginary):
Agent: 'Lot's of clubs are/were interested in signing Cips.'
Reporter: 'What, even Wasps?'
Agent: 'Yes.'
Reporter: 'But they have Sops for 3 years'
Agent: 'Wasps want Cips, so I presume it is to replace Sops'
Reporter: 'That would mean Sops is off early?'
Agent: 'That would be the conclusion.'
-
I can go with that, idle chat creates nonsense story!
-
One sentence about Lima in the middle of an article about Cipriani Re-signing for Gloucester. Perhaps the sub editor had a little space to fill.